Religious Cults & False Prophets~ Discussions and DebatesCritical Identity of BaptismThe same reason the gift of salvation is for everyone. In Acts 2:38, Peter proclaimed 1. repentance, 2. water baptism in the name of Jesus and 3. receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. In Acts 10:45,46 the gift of Holy Ghost is identified as being received with the evidence of speaking in tongues. The gift of the Holy Ghost is not the same as the gift of tongues which is accompanied by interpretation and is spoken by two or three people at most and one must interpret. But in the accounts in Acts of the Spirit Baptism with tongues there were groups of more than three and there was no interpretation. I pray in tongues every day for my own edification but I have only been used in the gift of tongues once in my eight years of being Holy Ghost filled. The gift of tongues does not happen often in the assembly. The spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 are only used when a need arises in the assembly. There is a gift of faith in the list of spiritual gifts that is not the same as the faith of individual believers. If tongues as the evidence of Spirit Baptism is not for all then why is it happening in the churches, namely Pentecostal, that preach and believe in it? It is the sin of unbelief to deny the Spirit baptism. People all over the world are receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in tongues by the millions in our present time. Do some research on that fact. I saw recently on a local Christian talk show called "It's A New Day" that claimed the statistic that as of the year 2000 some 500 million people globally had received the Baptism of the Holy Ghost evidenced with speaking in tongues regardless of denomination. God honours whatever faith one will believe for if it is in line with His Word. If you would like to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost simply ask the Lord, believe in what you ask for, and begin praising Him in the name of Jesus and you will receive. You can prove it for yourself between you and the Lord. I challenge you and everyone else to do it. It does not make sense if you mix the spiritual gifts of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 with the gift of Spirit baptism. And BTW, all believers once Holy Ghost filled will have the annointing to cast out devils and to lay on the hands on the sick for healing. Jesus said, these signs SHALL follow them that believe. If you do not believe then the signs will not follow. I speak in tongues, I cast out devils, and I do lay hands the sick and they do recover. This is what the ministry of Jesus Christ is, that is, to work through His people and continue His ministry. That is what separates "religion" from the real thing. Without the signs following believers and without the Spiritual gifts in operation in the assembly Christianity is no different and no better than any other vain religion. See my post "Jesus Is His Name" in five short parts this forum. However, I do not make the claim that just because the signs follow believers that believers cannot fall into temptation to sin and/or stumble in their walk with the Lord or stray from the will of God. Those are different issues and must be addressed separately. But for the sake of maintaining the topic of this thread I have focused only on the subject at hand which is the components of the plan of salvation. The spiritual signs and gifts serve as a powerful witness that indeed Jesus really is who He claims to be. Paul said, "tongues" are a sign [NOT the GIFT of TONGUES] but [the SIGN of TONGUES]for the unbeliever. Jesus said, "you shall be witnesses of Me" (Acts 1:8). An example of this is Nicodemus in John 3:2 when he said. "...we know that art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with Him." There are many unbelievers like Nicodemus today who would believe in Jesus if the witness of the Spirit was demonstrated by the Church. As the crowds followed Jesus, the crowds would fill the churches to have a drink of the water of life freely. That is why Pentecostalism is the fasted growing Christian movement today. Tell me something, what argument could an athiest with terminal cancer provide if a Christian laid their hands upon him and they were healed? One can discuss and debate away Scripture but one cannot discuss away a miracle in the name of Jesus. "And into whatsover city ye enter, and they receive you,...Heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same, and say, Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you: notwithstanding be ye sure of this, that the kingdom of God is come nigh unto you. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom, than for that city." - Jesus (Luke 10:8-12) |
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